Thomas MacGreevy
Thomas MacGreevy (born McGreevy) (26 October 1893 - 16 March 1967) was an Irish poet, and art and literary critic. He was a pivotal figure in the history of Irish literary modernism. Life Youth MacGreevy was born in Tarbert, co. Kerry, the son of a policeman and a primary school teacher. At age 16, he joined the British Civil Service as a boy clerk. At the outbreak of the First World War, he was promoted to an intelligence post with the Admiralty. He enlisted in 1917, and saw active service at the Ypres Salient and the Somme, being wounded twice, while studying French in billets behind the lines.Thomas MacGreevy, Ricorso. Web, Mar. 21, 2017. After the war, MacGreevy studied at Trinity College, Dublin. He then became involved in various library organisations, and began publishing articles in Irish periodicals and wrote his first poems. Poet In 1924, MacGreevy was first introduced to James Joyce in Paris. The following year he moved to London, where he met T.S. Eliot and began writing for ''The Criterion'' and other magazines. He also began publishing his poetry. In 1927, MacGreevy moved to Paris to teach English at the École Normale Supérieure. There he met Samuel Beckett (his successor at the school), and resumed his friendship with Joyce. He introduced Joyce and Beckett in 1928. His essay "The Catholic Element in Work In Progress" was published in 1929 in Our Exagmination round His Factification for Incamination of Work In Progress, a book intended to help promote Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Along with Beckett, he was one of those who signed the "Poetry is Vertical" manifesto which appeared in issue 21 of transition. He published poetry in the Irish Statesman (Dublin), transition and New Review (Paris), Criterion and Dublin Review (London), and Dial (New York). In 1934, Poems was published in London and New York. The book was admired by Wallace Stevens, and the 2 poets became regular correspondents. Although MacGreevy continued to write poetry, this was the only collection published in his lifetime. Since his death there have been 2 Collected Poems issued, one in 1971 and another 20 years later. Critic MacGreevy published regular articles in London, mainly reviews of books, opera, and ballet. In addition to these, and the essay on Finnegans Wake, he wrote 2 book-length studies, on T.S. Eliot and on Richard Aldington, both published in 1931. Art In 1929 MacGreevy began working on Formes, a journal of the fine arts. He also published a translation of Paul Valéry's Introduction à la méthode de Léonard de Vinci. In the mid 1930's, he moved back to London and earned his living lecturing at the National Gallery there. From 1938 to 1940 he was the chief art critic for The Studio. He published several books on art and artists, including on Jack Butler Yeats) and on Pictures in the Irish National Gallery (both in 1945), and on Nicolas Poussin in 1960. He was the director of the National Gallery of Ireland from 1950 to 1963, and served on the first Irish Arts Council (An Chomhairle Ealaíon). Catholicism MacGreevy was a life-long Catholic and his religion informed both his poetry and his professional life. On returning to Dublin during World War II, he wrote for both the Father Mathew Record and The Capuchin Annual, and joined the editorial board of the latter. In this role, he contrived to bring something of the European Catholic intellectual tradition into a more conservative Irish environment. Writing His poetry shows that MacGreevy had absorbed the lessons of Imagism and of The Waste Land, but also that he had brought something of his own to these influences. Recognition His honours include Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Lègion d’Honneur (1948), Officier de la Lègion d’Honneur (1962), and an honorary Litt.D. from the National University of Ireland (1962).http://www.irishwriters-online.com/macgreevy-thomas/ MacGreevy, Thomas], Irish Writers Online. Web, Mar. 21, 2017. Publications Poetry *''Poems''. London: Heinemann, 1934; New York: Viking Press, 1934]. *''Collected Poems'' (edited by Thomas Dillon Redshaw). Dublin, New Writers Press, 1971; Dublin: Raven Arts Press / New Writers Press, 1983. *''Collected Poems: An annotated edition'' (edited by Susan Schreibman). Dublin, Anna Livia Press, 1991; Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1991. Non-fiction *''Richard Aldington: An Englishman''. London, Chatto & Windus, 1931; New York: Haskell House, 1974. *''Thomas Stearns Eliot: A study''. London: Chatto & Windus, 1931; New York: Haskell House, 1971. *''Jack B. Yeats: An appreciation and an interpretation''. Dublin: Victor Waddington, 1945. *''Pictures in the Irish National Gallery''. London: B.T. Batsford, 1946. *''An Exhibition of Paintings by Jack B. Yeats''. London: Arts Council of England, 1948. *''Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1952''. Dublin: Haly's, 1952. *''Nicholas Poussin''. Dublin: Dolmen Press, 1960. *''Illustrations of the Paintings: A selection of 180 photographs''. Dublin: National Gallery of Ireland, 1963. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Thomas MacGreevy, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 21, 2017. Audio / video *Barry McGovern, Rivers of Words: Thomas MacGreevy, North Kerry writer & former director of the National Gallery of Ireland (VHS). Cianco Films, for Tarbert Bridewell Group, 2000? See also *List of Irish poets References External links ;Poems *Thomas MacGreevy at PoemHunter ("Homage to Hieronymus Bosch") ;About *Thomas MacGreevy, Director, 1950-1963, National Gallery of Ireland *Biographical Essay on MacGreevy *Thomas MacGreevy at Ricorso * The Thomas MacGreevy Archive Category:1893 births Category:1967 deaths Category:Irish poets Category:École Normale Supérieure faculty Category:Irish modernist poets Category:People from County Kerry Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Modernist poets